1. Field
Example embodiments may relate to broadband light illuminators and/or methods of illuminating broadband lights using the same. Example embodiments also may relate to broadband light illuminators of optical inspectors for inspecting defects of semiconductor devices and/or methods of illuminating the broadband lights onto wafers using the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, minute defects of integrated circuit devices are detected by one of a bright-field optical inspector and a dark-field optical inspector in manufacturing semiconductor devices. The bright-field optical inspector usually uses a laser or a broadband light as a light source. For example, the broadband lights having some particular wavelengths are selected as the light source of the bright-field optical inspector, or the broadband light is incident onto the substrate at some particular incident angles in accordance with the operation modes of the optical inspector when operating the bright-field optical inspector. Otherwise, a polarized broadband light may also be used as the light source of the bright-field optical inspector. The broadband light for the bright-field optical inspector usually requires high optical intensity along every possible incident angles for accurate and rapid inspection process. Particularly, the inspection with respect to the fine and minute defects on a wafer needs to be conducted across various incident angles including 0° at high resolution, which requires higher optical intensity of the broadband light at every possible incident angles with respect to a surface of the wafer.